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festivals · Monday 20 July 2026 · Various 
Balbriggan Summerfest 2026
At Balbriggan Town Center and Beach · Balbriggan, Dublin 13
At Balbriggan Town Center and Beach · Balbriggan, Dublin 13
Balbriggan Summerfest is a week-long community celebration that takes over the town’s centre and seafront each summer, and it has earned a reputation as one of the most genuinely local festivals on the north Dublin coast. Free to attend, it draws families, neighbours, visitors and clubs together across seven days of outdoor activity. If you are looking for an easy day out that combines a proper seaside setting with the kind of programme that a real community actually puts on - sandcastle competitions, live music, a pet show, blessing of the boats - this delivers it without a ticket price attached.
The festival spreads across Balbriggan Town Centre and the beach, with the grounds of Bremore Castle also used as a hub for larger gatherings. Past editions have included a vintage fair, Balbriggan’s Got Talent, the Great Balbriggan Bake Off, a 5k road race, a senior citizens’ tea party and bingo, emergency services demonstrations, fireworks, and a carnival. Food and craft stalls run throughout, and face painting, live music and carnival games tend to anchor the weekend days. The blessing of the boats is a coastal tradition that gives the festival a distinctly Balbriggan character - it is not a generic summer fair transplanted from a marquee catalogue. Activities run across all seven days, lighter midweek and fuller at the weekends. Check the festival’s Facebook page (search Balbriggan Summerfest) in the weeks before for the confirmed 2026 programme, as the schedule is released closer to the date.
Balbriggan is about 35 kilometres north of Dublin city, just off the M1 motorway. By car, leave the M1 at Junction 7 (Balbriggan) and follow signs into the town centre - parking is available in the town and along the seafront, though it fills up on busy festival days, so arriving early or walking from the outskirts is worth considering. By train, Irish Rail’s Northern Commuter line runs from Dublin Connolly to Balbriggan in around 45 minutes, with regular services throughout the day. The station is a short walk from the town centre and beach. Buses also serve the route from Dublin city; check the Transport for Ireland journey planner for current timetables.
The town’s long sandy beach and the ruins of Bremore Castle make it worth staying longer than just a festival afternoon. The harbour is quiet and genuinely old, and the surrounding coastline is good for a walk before or after the crowds gather at the main events. There is more to see in Balbriggan and across Co. Dublin.
Heading to Balbriggan Town Center and Beach in Balbriggan? Dublin has plenty more to see. Read the Balbriggan area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.